New music on this week’s Sound Session from the likes of REKS, Run The Jewels, Earl St. Clair, John Legend + Chance The Rapper, Tom Bailey, The Weeknd + Kendrick Lamar, Jorja Smith, starRo + Jesse Boykins III, Childish Gambino, Ryan Caraveo, Smoke DZA + Pete Rock + Big K.R.I.T. + Dom Kennedy, and more. Can’t go wrong with that classic throwback either. Back in Sydney, Australia for a few more weeks and then we’ll be broadcasting from Seattle again at the start of the new year…

Feels like a whirlwind couple days for me, as we did this week’s Sound Session episode from just off Wall Street in New York City and now I’m writing this from back in Australia, a mere 10k miles apart. Shout to everyone I saw in NYC and double that for everyone I didn’t get a chance to catch up with. Time ran out but we’ll get up next time!

A lot of eloquent words by folks more intelligent than I have been written this week, plus I’m burned out from the emotion of it all and traveling from Australia to New York (24 hours straight on the move is no joke), so I’ll keep it as brief as I can. There are three points I want to stress to everyone:

Almost 50% of the eligible voting population sat this one out. Voter suppression occurred both via laws (reducing early voting windows, requiring additional identification, etc.) and by killing all enthusiasm for being a part of the process. In such a close election (where the Electoral College has failed the will of the people for the second time in my life), every vote is crucial and we simply couldn’t afford so many people to stay at home. Shameful, in my opinion, especially with local races and propositions on the ballot too. It’s interesting watching this happen while I’ve been in Australia, where voting is required by law. Sure, that gets abused too, but it definitely looks like a better system to me. The Republicans have decided not to update their platform to move with the changing world, so they know their best chance to win is to have as few people vote as possible. Credit to them, it worked this time around. It’s on us to ensure more people, from all parties, get out to the 2018 midterms.

Trump won just 25% of the vote. I would hope that the hardcore racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia he based his campaign on is only embraced by a small percentage of that group, say up to 10%. Perhaps we’ll never be able to reach those people. Maybe they’re just stuck in their ways. But the rest of his voters amazingly decided that all of this nonsense was NOT a deal-breaker, which, at best, tells all the targeted people, “I don’t hate you…but I don’t care about you.” These are the people we need to have conversations with, to ensure they understand that they have just emboldened and validated this rhetoric by putting him in the White House. Those values are NOT shared by the vast majority of America and we cannot let a small few hijack the narrative in attempts to normalize this. Speak up and stay vocal, shouting this down at every turn.

We gon’ be alright (c) Kendrick. Sound Session has been here during the Bush years, the Obama years, and we’ll be here during the Trump years too. So will you. You are valued. You matter. You are loved. Be the change you want to see at the local level and control what you can control. Progress is not a straight line and we’re going to continue on our path to a more perfect union, one day at a time.

One of the most eye opening parts of this election has been the lack of discussion around the rampant sexism and misogyny allowing these two candidates to be seen anywhere near equally qualified. When I worked on the Obama campaign, I encountered racism quite often (mostly indirect, sometimes explicit) and I was happy we were going to get him elected in spite of it. I thought it was awesome how we were going to overcome this ridiculous self-constructed hurdle, and anticipated future doors being much easier to break down as a result.

Only later, when Hillary won the nomination, did I realize that old racist white men were actually more willing to accept a black man than a white woman. Not knowing how these people think, I just always assumed they valued race over sex. After all, they came from white women, married white women, and fathered white women. Logic would indicate their fear of the “other” would apply to a group outside their own immediate family.

Turns out, I was wrong. These folks will begrudgingly, while fighting every step of the way, accept the fact that a minority male can join their inner circle, but ask them to do the same with a woman and that’s where they attempt to draw the line.

Tiger can join the golf club. After all, he’s a male. He “gets it” (though perhaps too fervently and too publicly, as it turns out in that case). A woman though? Bollocks. Read the sign: “No Girls Allowed.”

Well, we are here: at the last stand of the patriarchal Alamo, and we are poised to make history.

If that’s not exciting enough, this is merely the beginning!

With all the negativity and pessimism surrounding us, we must recognize that progress takes time and we continue to steadfastly march down that path, undeterred by the delays and extra effort it requires. We will not see “the end” in our lifetimes, because it doesn’t exist. The goal continually moves because we continually evolve. The only constant is change and living life is to embrace that change.

This week we will take a massive step forward, one that will change the perception of what is possible for every generation of girls AND boys that follow. I’m so excited to take that step with you all.

Vote! And I will see you on the other side…literally in this instance. I’ll be coming back to the States for some business in New York City from the 10th to the 20th, so holler accordingly NYC homies!

It’s Halloween and I can think of nothing scarier than a Donald Trump presidency. If there are early voting options where you live, don’t wait and get it done now. I sent mine in all the way from Australia, so you’ve got no excuses. Please make sure your voice is heard!

On behalf of the wonderful city of Seattle and all its denizens, I apologize for the atrocity of a NFL game the nation witnessed last night. Here in one of our ESPN Australia offices, I had a tough time explaining to my coworkers why the Seahawks should be taken seriously as Super Bowl contenders, but at least the defense came to play. An offensive line has never been more aptly named, however. “Turrible” (c) Charles Barkley (speaking of Chuck, NBA’s back this week!).

On this episode of SNSS, we ran through new records from the Swet Shop Boys (Riz, the lead actor in The Night Of & Heems from Das Racist), NxWorries (Anderson .Paak & Knxwledge), SiR, Like, Apollo Brown & Skyzoo, OnCue, Rajitheone, Solange, Phora, Cole King & Tunji Ige, AlunaGeorge, Common & Stevie Wonder, IshDARR, Duckwrth, and more. Throwback dedicated to the boom-bap that sounds so good in the worsening weather back home (sorry, can’t relate).

After a few weeks here in Australia, I’ve decided Sydney is pretty much Vancouver meets San Diego. As you’d expect when you combine two of the best cities in North America, that results in a pretty awesome place. Along with its natural Australian sensibilities, it’s got a great mix of US, UK, and Asian influences, and from the downtown core to beach after beach of insanely beautiful coastline (peep the gram), it’s really got everything you might need. I feel like I’m betraying my new friends here by spreading the word, but the secret is going to get out at some point. Plus, if the unthinkable happens, I know you guys are going to be assessing your options come November 5th. Thankfully, that looks less and less likely by the day…get out and vote! I already sent in my ballot from 8 thousand miles away, so you really don’t have any excuses to let your voice be heard.

As mentioned yesterday, we are now up and running with our international broadcast of Sound Session every week, all the way across the Pacific Ocean from Sydney, Australia. I’ll be here for 3 months for my ESPN work, but we’ll keep the music coming like we always have. Hopefully we’ll start adding some more Aussie flavor to the show (still sleeping on CVIRO & GXNXVS, Vanessa Elisha, M-Phazes, etc.?…hell, I think we were the first show in the country to play that funky little record from the quirky Belgian/Australian dude, waaaaaay before it became a played out smash).

No Aussies on this week’s playlist, but still some great new music from artists like Anderson .Paak, Kid Cudi, Common, Francis and the Lights, Mura Masa & ASAP Rocky, Dave East, DAEtrius, Divine Council & Andre 3000, Dave, Khalid, Avelino, SiR, dvsn, and more. Enjoy!

Greetings from 7,744 miles away from Seattle, live and direct from Sydney, Australia!

If you’ve heard the past few shows, you heard DJ Nphared and I chat about my work trip down under for ESPN, and it’s finally underway. It’s taken a minute to travel halfway around the world, get settled, and get the archive up for SNSS #570 from a few weeks back, but we’re finally in business. I’ll be here for 3 months and broadcasting each week from 17 hours in the future. Monday Afternoon Sound Session doesn’t quite have the same ring, but that’s what it’ll be for me here in Sydney. Many thanks to those who have helped get us all hooked up to broadcast from the land of kangaroos, koalas, wallabies, and, of course, Margot Robbie.

On this episode, we ran tracks from T.I. & Killer Mike, ODIE, NxWorries, OthaSoul, Mick Jenkins, Rejjie Snow, Tink, Mndsgn, Brent Faiyaz, Isaiah Rashad, Danny Brown, Xavier Omar (fka SPZRKT), and more. 2 Throwbacks for the 20th & 25th anniversary of two classic albums as well. Lots of good stuff here, enjoy and be on the lookout for our first episode from Sydney to be archived shortly as well!